This blog is for government communicators and others who are passionate about improving the way government serves citizens. I managed a U.S. government website for 10 years. Now happily retired, I'm sharing some of my experiences and ideas. Agree or not, I hope my posts make you think about ways to make government customer service better.

Monday, October 22, 2012

No matter who wins the election in two weeks, change will
come.If the President is re-elected, we’ll
see some new political appointees coming onboard and certainly new
initiatives.If Governor Romney is
elected, we’ll see wholesale changes in political personnel and plans; and transition
teams will move into agencies quickly.In either case, new political appointees and new goals will ramp up
throughout 2013.

Transition brings change, and change can be a great
opportunity – if you’re prepared.

Here we go – three tips for making the most out of transition:

1.Finish what you’ve started

Government communicators have made great strides in the past 4
years.The Digital Government Strategy
and Customer Service plans go a long way to recognizing the importance of a
customer-centered government.Of course,
that work will be unending.But now is
the time to dot the I’s and cross the t’s on those distinct initiatives that
are underway.Get your digital
governance models finished.Roll out
those signature mobile apps.If they aren’t perfect, you can improve them incrementally
over time.What you don’t want is to be
caught by the winds of change and lose the good work you’ve started.

2.Document what you’ve finished

Write it down.Make it real. Document your successes, explaining why they
were successful.Talk in terms that new
executives and special assistants will understand and value…how did this
project improve the way your agency serves citizens or performs more efficiently?
Don’t get down in the weeds, but give
enough detail so that the problem(s) and solution(s) are clear and the benefits
convincing.You never know when new
appointees or transition teams will ask for your achievements.Be ready to hand them a 2-pager that informs
and convinces.

3.Document what you want and need

One
of the smartest things the Federal Web Managers Council ever did was write a
White Paper on improving online services and having it ready for the Obama
transition team in November 2008.That
paper was widely circulated and served as the genesis for both top level attention
and many of the exciting initiatives that followed.This is a great time to assess where you’ve
been in the past 4 years and where you want to go.Think long term.Think big picture (again, in terms that will
grab the attention of top political executives and special assistants).Talk about obstacles and options to overcome
them, and say exactly what you need from top executives to make change happen
and what the outcomes should be.

In two weeks, no matter who wins, the federal government
will begin to change.It may be subtle
or it may be dramatic.Either way, be
prepared.Think this through.Transition is a great opportunity.

Monday, October 01, 2012

This is National Customer Service Week, and I hope you (yes,
you!) take a few minutes to think about what you’ve done to help your customers
lately.Did you do a great job answering
that email? Super!Did you suggest an
improvement to the website that made it easier for customers to find a top
task?Great!Did you go out of your way to direct that
phone caller to someone who could give her a real answer?Spot on!What’s that you say?You really haven’t done anything for your customers lately?Well, then..start now.Here are 3 things you
can do, this week, to celebrate our dedication to giving our customers the best
possible service.

Read and think.A lot of us have been thinking hard about
customer service.Do some reading, see
where you agree and disagree, and think about how you could apply some of these
ideas.Here are 5 of my blog pieces that
might spark some thoughts:

Discuss.Gather your team or some of your colleagues
and talk about what makes great customer service.Then brainstorm ways you could improve service
at your agency.Or join an online discussion on GovLoop (Wendi has one there, too).Be a
customer.Go to a government website
(not your own!) and try to complete a task.See how they’re doing it, and look for ideas you could replicate.If you have a bad experience, why?Are you doing similar things at your
agency?Maybe you should fix them.There’s nothing like being a customer to
understand what customers want.You don’t have to be a manager to create change.Every single person at every single agency
has opportunities – and responsibilities – to improve the way we serve our
customers.So, what about it?What have you done for your customers lately?